Americans Go To Chinese Prison - and the MPAA is All About It

Two American citizens have been sentenced to 2.5 years in jail for participating in a DVD piracy ring that distributed 180,000 conterfeit discs worldwide. Randolph Hobson Guthrie III and Abram Cody Thrush, along with two Chinese co-defendants, will also face over $60,000 in fines. Guthrie's attorney said it's unlikely they'll appeal.

The case is exemplary of the United States government's ongoing alliances with other nations to protect the intellectual property interests of US media companies. For his part, Michael Ellis, Asia-Pacific Director of the Motion Picture Association of America, was thrilled by the verdict. "It's good to see Chinese courts handing out strong sentences for intellectual property rights violations," he said. MPAA president Dan Glickman shared the sentiment, noting that the verdicts send "a clear message to movie pirates across the globe: You can click, but you cannot hide."